University of Nicosia designed and implemented a European-wide training course for CEPOL

The CEPOL Training Activity titled “Financial investigations in Virtual Currencies” took place between 26-30 September in Cyprus. The training activity was co-organized by the Institute of Public and Cyber Security (IPCS) and the Institute for the Future (IFF) of the University of Nicosia, the first university in Cyprus to have entered into a four-year Framework Partnership Agreement with CEPOL (2020-2024).

The course was attended by 46 participants from 24 countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, the Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden).

The aim of the course was to enhance the capacity of specialised investigators to gather evidence, as well as trace, recover and manage virtual currencies. In addition, the course aimed to contribute in combating financial crimes by strengthening multidisciplinary cooperation in the context of financial investigations on cryptocurrencies, in particular by developing cross-border cooperation between law enforcement and judicial authorities.

The course started with an introductory training on cryptocurrencies and their taxonomy, followed by other topics such as Digital Currencies Regulatory Landscape, Cryptocurrency Investigative Technique, Asset Confiscation and Collecting Evidence and Seizing of Cryptocurrencies. Various relevant case studies were presented.

In addition, during the course, a practical application of the CipherTrace Blockchain analysis tool for combating the illegal flow of cryptocurrencies took place.

The course’s renowned trainers came from the United States of America, Europol, EJTN, the University of Nicosia and other European countries.

The Chief of Cyprus Police, Mr. Stelios Papatheodorou, the CEO of the University of Nicosia, Mr. Antonis Polemitis, as well as the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Public and Cyber Security (IPCS) and former Chief of Cyprus Police, Mr. Zacharias Chrysostomou, commenced the activity during a short opening ceremony that took place on 26 September.

IPCS was established in 2019, aiming to offer multidisciplinary professional training in Policing, Security, Investigation and Cybersecurity.

The Institute for the Future (IFF) is a leading global provider of education and research in blockchain and digital currencies. The interdisciplinary research centre at UNIC aims at advancing emerging technologies and contributing to their effective application in industry, government, and education. Through IFF, UNIC has educated over 100,000 students in academic and non-academic courses, has the world’s largest team of faculty and staff focused on cryptoassets and blockchains, and is the academic lead for the European Union Blockchain Observatory and Forum.